Bizstory Blog

Why online content is essential for your business

August 7, 2018

Online content helps people understand who you are and what your business does.

Let’s look at why online content is crucial to the success of your business.

For your website

You’ve spent a lot of time and money on a great-looking website. You want it to be as busy as an airport over Christmas. But if you don’t have the right plan in place, it’s like a world without GPS, maps or even wayfinding signs. People just don't know how to find you. Just like all those lost holidaymakers and folk desperate to catch up with family, but they can’t.

Help customers find their way to you

So how do you get people to your website? You need content. In the search-engine world, strategically-planned content is your GPS, your map and your good ol’ wayfinding sign rolled into one.

Your readers are asking questions online, and when you’re the one to answer them, search engines like Google know to direct them to you.

So if you want a great-looking website that has readers rush up like the latest iPhone has just been released, you need web content.

And research backs this up. A week after reading educational content from a brand, there was a 9% increase in the number of customers who thought the brand was trustworthy (from 64% to 73%), according to a study done by Connector. In the same period, there was also an 8% increase in those who saw the brand as positive (from 66% to 74%).

For your blog

You’ve probably heard it over and over: Keep your blog fresh.

But what is it you lose when you don’t? It’s simple, really: Trust. The trust of your customers and the opportunity to gain the trust of new customers.

Picture this: A customer lands on your website. They’re the kind of person who needs to know more. And online, most people are. The whole reason most people go online, research shows, is to find information.

Your customer heads over to your blog, but there’s nothing there. So they start thinking:

The search engine dilemma

Search engines are smart. They know if you’re not posting new content on your website, you’re just not as relevant as someone who is.

New content equals relevant in the online world. So when the would-be customer is frantically typing keywords and questions into Google, the search engine will oblige by taking them to the most relevant article.

Content plays a pretty significant role. People want to read what you have to say. And they want it to be educational.

Education is key

Did you know that teaching readers something is one of the best ways to turn them into customers?

Customers who read something educational from a brand are 131% more likely to buy from that brand, according to research done by Connector. And when given a lineup of four brands to buy from, 83.6% of consumers chose the brand that gave them educational content. Educational articles, then, are a great use of your blog.

Using social media to win customers

When running a social media campaign, you need content that’s likely to engage your target readers.

Social media is a great place to build a target audience, generate sales leads and share your educational content.

Winning at placement articles

Another way of creating content is with what we call placement articles. That means your digital partner will find targeted placement opportunities to house content on an associate’s website. These will have some great links driving traffic back to your page and engages new potential customers.

Deals like this can be tricky to do on your own. You’ll need content that both you and the placement provider are happy with. Your digital agency takes the stress out of coming up with appropriate topics and finding you new places to house your content around the web.

‘If it wasn’t obvious before, it is now: Content that engages your audience also helps open their wallets.’

- Rand Fishkin, leader in the field of search engine optimisation tools, resources & community

Online content: is it for you?

Ask yourself these questions:

Do you want new customers finding your products/services online?

Do you want customers to be more likely to choose your brand over the competition?

Do you want your customers’ trust?

If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, you need content.

Say yes to great content and ask your digital provider or web designer about how they can help you find the right words for the web.